I heard a conure on my street today!

[Ashling]

I was walking my dog and my rat (tucked in my jumper) today and I heard a parrot calling. I recognized the call as a conure. Wow someone with a conure! A sun conure by the sound of it. A parrot person on MY street! I was so excited. I saw a lady in the front yard of a house where the calls seemed to be coming from. I thought about asking her, but I'm a shy person so I hesitated. But I'm also a spontaneous person and I knew I'd regret it if I didn't ask. Besides, it's worth it to meet a parrot person and I'm sure they'd understand. Right?

Wrong. She wasn't a parrot person. It went something like this:


Me: "Excuse me? *clears throat* Um... excuse me?"
Lady:"Oh, sorry... hello."
"Hi... er... do you own a conure?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Do you own a conure... um... a bird?"
"Oh... no..."
"Do you know if your neighbours have a conure?"
"I don't live here I'm just helping with the gardening."
"Oh ok, sorry." I was about to leave when...
"How do you spell it?"
"Conure?"
"Yes"
"C-O-N-U-R-E. They're a South American Species of parrot."
"Oh ok. Interesting, I'll look it up. And I'll ask the people who live here if they know anything."
"Ok thanks." (I don't know how she expected them to contact me again lol but anyway...) "I'm always up for meeting bird-people. I own a lorikeet and a cockatiel."
"Oh nice. What's that in your top? ...A bird?"
"Oh, no... a rat."
"Oh...*pause* ah... cute."

The rest were formal thanks for your time and goodbyes. I must have seemed so eccentric. Maybe I am. Well that was my crazy bird person stunt for the time being. Tune in for next weeks!

[kali]

LOL your story cheered me up :)

[Ashling]

Then my embarrassment wasn't in vain :)

[Andie]

We are far too young to be eccentric. We are just plain nuts.

Meanwhile, I nearly smashed my car watching a cockatoo on a light pole this afternoon...

[kali]

Originally Posted by Andie

Meanwhile, I nearly smashed my car watching a cockatoo on a light pole this afternoon...

Oh, i have been guilty of that too!

I will STOP and wait if there's a bird on the road. Even in my driveway the magpies will just stand there in front of my car! but i just wait.. lol

[Falsk]

I do that, too, haha. Sometimes I'll be on a walk and hear a bird and I want to just peek in the window of the house and see what it is, lol. If only there were more bird people in the world!

[hollyhawkz]

Too cute Mel!!!!! Don't cha just hate when you feel like that?!?!

[asulli]

Originally Posted by Andie

We are far too young to be eccentric. We are just plain nuts.

Meanwhile, I nearly smashed my car watching a cockatoo on a light pole this afternoon...

Living in Houston, Texas we do not see any Cockatoos just having around on poles. I probably would have ran into the pole!

If I saw a Cockatoo in a tree or a pole I would probably get out of my car and make a complete idiot out of myself calling to it, flapping my arms around and trying to convince it to come down.

Yeah! I can picture myself and the passerby's!

[asulli]

Ashling,

I think I am the only bird lady on my block. Sometimes I feel like standing on the corner with a sign that says: ??Want to talk Parrot?? Well, know that I have become a volunteer at the Sanctuary I can talk all the parrot I want!!!!

I can imagine that lady's face when you told her you were walking your rat!!!!

[Parrotbay]

Ashling....

that's an awesome story. I am shy too, and often when I reach out like you did... it ends up just like that. I generally kick myself the rest of the day in embarrassment. It is worth it for the one time it works out though! :)

Funny story.